Jaipur: Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi will spend a maximum of six days in Dausa during its Rajasthan phase of 16 days. Dausa is known as the bastion of Congress dissident leader Sachin Pilot. It is being seen as a significant political advantage for Pilot in his ongoing tug-of-war with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
The Yatra will enter Rajasthan on December 4 and start on December 5 from Jhalrapatan, the assembly constituency of former CM and BJP national vice-president Vasundhra Raje. It will stay in the state till December 20.
While in Rajasthan phase, the Yatra will pass through six districts including Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa, and Alwar, and will cover around 18 assembly constituencies.
The Yatra will enter Dausa on December 14 and leave the district on December 19. Two major programmes including a corner meeting and a dialogue with farmers have been proposed in Dausa. The Yatra will also take a one-day break in the district.
Pilot has a good influence in most parts of the route decided for Yatra but Dausa is considered to be his stronghold because of his political legacy.
It is like a home town to Sachin Pilot as his father, veteran Congress leader late Rajesh Pilot and his mother Rama Pilot were elected Members of Parliament from Dausa while Pilot himself was elected MP from here for the first time.
“At a time of conflict in the state unit of the party, stay of Rahul’s Yatra in Dausa for maximum time is a political advantage for Pilot over Gehlot as it will give him an opportunity to show his strength and reach in public,” said a senior leader of the party.
Notably, the party took a long time to decide the final route of the Yatra in Rajasthan because of factionalism and the Gehlot camp’s apprehension that Pilot will steal the show if the Yatra passes through this route.
